By Master Storyteller – Stephen King
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens—Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
Official Summary
Before I get into my thoughts on this book you need to know that I am a true Stephen King fan. I discovered my love for fiction when I read my first Stephen King book, so Stephen King is the reason I started reading seriously.
Arriving at Johannesburg airport early for a flight to Cape Town left me floating around Exclusive Books, simply killing time when this book caught my eye. I have never been happier about being early.
This book is a genuinely intriguing mystery. Imagine you are unexpectedly arrested for murder. Not just any murder, but an extremely gruesome murder of a young boy. The police not only have eyewitnesses, but they also have fingerprints and DNA evidence that point straight to you….. That is exactly what happens to Terry Maitland. He has an alibi, but how can anyone possibly believe he is innocent when some many factors are pointing right at him.
This story keeps you guessing right to the end. The Outsider has a full cast, Terry Maitland and his wife appear to be good people. Respected in the community yet reading the book I doubted his innocence and felt sorry for his wife and children and the horrors they had to deal with because of his arrest. Detective Ralph Anderson is a good cop with good instincts, watching him doubt his actions adds to the intrigue. During parts of the book, I felt anger towards Anderson, wondering if he rushed in and made the wrong choices along the way because of his son’s connection to Maitland.
I loved the appearance of Holly Gibney. If you have read Finders Keepers, you will remember her. Holly is without a doubt one of my favourite King characters, discovering that she is featured in The Outside made this book even better for me. Holly is never explicitly given an autism diagnosis, but her mannerisms, speech patterns and specific skills are suggestive. How can you not have a soft spot for a character who is a little strange but also incredibly talented?
You will love this book if you enjoy a story that keeps you guessing, a mystery you simply must see solved. This book is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages, with surprises all the way.
This book is in my top 5 for 2020 – the paperback was released in 2019, but I only got my hands on it early 2020 – that is why it’s in my 2020 list!
Yes, please read this book – it will not disappoint.
A Proud, NetGalley Professional Read
Author: Stephen King – ISBN: 9781473676398 – Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. – Pages: 475 – Source: Private Copy
Other books featuring Holly Gibney:
- Mr Mercedes
- Finders Keepers
- End of Watch
- If It Bleeds
I only found out about If It Bleeds while writing this review – and I will make a point of getting myself a copy of that as soon as possible.
Coming Soon
New release from Stephen King to keep an eye out for: Later – release date: March 2021
SOMETIMES GROWING UP MEANS FACING YOUR DEMONS
The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine—as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author bio from author’s website
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world’s most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.
Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
This was a little longer than usual, thank you for indulging me….. What is your favorite Stephen King book? Leave a comment.
Happy Reading
